Combination assembly of string and adjusting and fastening device

ABSTRACT

A combination assembly includes a string and an adjusting and fastening device. The adjusting and fastening device is a hollow cube. The cube includes two lateral holes and a bottom formed respectively at two lateral sides thereof and a bottom side thereof for communication with inside space thereof and outside. The string is inserted through the lateral and bottom holes to be combined with the cube, having two ends exposed outside the bottom hole. While applied to a shoelace or a chinstrap or other condition requiring tightening/loosening, the combination assembly are good at length adjustment, fixture, and appearance of the string as well as convenient operation thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to length adjustment of strings, and more particularly, to a combination assembly of a string and an adjusting and fastening device.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional method of tying a shoelace is to insert the shoelace through eyelets of a shoe and keep predetermined length of two ends of the shoelace exposed outside for further tying action to fasten the shoe onto the user's foot. Tying the shoelace with a decorative butterfly-shaped knot is the most popular for the users because it enables the shoe to be aesthetical in appearance and the length of the exposed shoelace to be adjustable.

A conventional string adjustor includes a hollow cube, which has two vertical through holes and two horizontal through holes. The two vertical through holes are formed respectively on a top side and a bottom side of the cube, in communication with each other. The two horizontal through holes are formed respectively in two lateral sides of the cube, in communication with each other. A string is inserted through the vertical and horizontal through holes to have a butterfly-shaped knot, which length is adjustable by pulling loops of the string outward. However, the string adjustor fails to fasten the string after the butterfly-shaped knot is formed, incurring potential danger. Thus, an improvement is necessary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a combination assembly of a string and an adjusting and fastening device, which can not only adjust the length of the string but also fasten the string.

The secondary objective of the present invention is to provide a combination assembly of a string and an adjusting and fastening device, wherein the string can be tied more aesthetically than the prior art.

The foregoing objectives of the present invention are attained by the combination assembly, in which the adjusting and fastening device is a hollow cube. The cube includes two lateral holes and a bottom formed respectively at two lateral sides thereof and a bottom side thereof for communication with inside space thereof and outside. The string is inserted through the lateral and bottom holes to be combined with the cube, having two ends exposed outside the bottom hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the adjusting and fastening device in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention in cooperation with a shoe.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 3, in operation.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is similar to FIG. 8, in operation.

FIG. 10 is another sectional view of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows that the string is a round cord.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the adjusting and fastening device of FIG. 11.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a combination assembly 10 of a string 21 and an adjusting and fastening device 11 is constructed according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. The adjusting and fastening device 11 is a hollow cube, which includes two lateral holes and a bottom formed respectively at two lateral sides thereof and a bottom side thereof for communication with inside space thereof and outside. The string 21 runs through the bottom hole 14 and the two lateral holes 12 to have two ends exposed outside the bottom hole 14 and two loops exposed outside the two lateral holes 12. The string 21 includes a midsection adhesively fixed to an internal top side of the adjusting and fastening device 11.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, while operating combination assembly 10 of the present invention, the user can insert the two ends of the string 21, which is a shoelace in this embodiment, through eyelets of a shoe 90 first. While tightening the string 21, the user can pull two sections A of the two loops bilaterally outwards to enable the adjusting and fastening device 11 to approach the two ends of the string 21 and then to tighten the string 21. Because the two ends of the bottom side of the string 21 are tightened almost horizontally bilaterally sideward, the string 21 causes tight fit, like distortion and friction, with two lateral edges of the bottom hole 14, making it difficult to horizontally pull the string 21 out of the bottom side of the adjusting and fastening device 11 and thus fastening the string 21. While intending to loosen the string 21, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the user can hold and pull the adjusting and fastening device 11 upward to enable the two ends of the string 21 to be pulled downward other than bilaterally sideward; meanwhile, no resistance is generated at the two lateral edges of the bottom hole 14 and then the adjusting and fastening device 11 can easily be pulled upward, thus effecting loosening of the string 21.

Referring to FIG. 7, a combination assembly 40 of a string 49 and an adjusting and fastening device 41 is constructed according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention further includes a cram plate 47 mounted inside the adjusting and fastening device 41 for partitioning off the two lateral holes 42 into two sections. The cram plate 47 oppresses the string 49 to generate more resistance therebetween preventing the strong 49 from easy inversive extraction.

Referring to FIG. 8, a combination assembly 50 of a string 59 and an adjusting and fastening device 51 is constructed according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. The string 59 is located at a predetermined position outside the adjusting and fastening device 51, having at least two retaining portions 591, each of which width is larger than a diameter of each of two lateral holes 52, for being jammed at external sides of the lateral holes 52, as shown in FIG. 9, to prevent the string 59 from pulling into the lateral holes 52. The retaining portions 591 can be formed alternatively by heating and hardening parts of the string 59 or a jig 591′ clamping the string 59, as shown in FIG. 10, after the string 59 is inserted through the adjusting and fastening device 51.

In the aforementioned embodiments, the string is a flat cord. Alternatively, the string can be a round cord as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12.

In addition to the shoelace, the present invention can be applied to chinstraps or other conditions requiring length adjustment for tightening and loosening effect, not limited to the shoelace to narrow the claim thereof. In conclusion, the present invention includes advantages recited below.

-   -   1. Length adjustment and fixture: The present invention enables         length adjustment of the string to tighten or loosen the string         and causes cooperation between the inversive tension of the         string and the adjusting and fastening device while the string         is tightened to fasten the string.     -   2. Convenient operation: The user does not have to learn the art         of tying the string but to merely pull the string bilaterally         sideward to tighten the string and to pull the adjusting and         fastening device upward to loosen the string for requirement of         conveniently tying shoelaces and chinstraps and for convenient         operation of the children who do not know how to tie the string.     -   3. More aesthetical appearance: The present invention enables         the string to be butterfly-shaped to have tidy and aesthetical         appearance without messy exposure of the string. 

1. A combination assembly of a string and an adjusting and fastening device, wherein said adjusting and fastening device is a hollow cube having two lateral holes and a bottom hole respectively formed at two lateral sides thereof and a bottom side thereof for communication between inside space and outside, said string running through said bottom and lateral holes to have two ends exposed outside said bottom hole.
 2. The combination assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said string is provided with a midsection fixed inside said adjusting and fastening device.
 3. The combination assembly as defined in claim 2, wherein said midsection of said string is adhesively fixed inside said adjusting and fastening device.
 4. The combination assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said string includes a plurality of retaining portions formed at a predetermined position outside said adjusting and fastening device for preventing said string from pulling into said lateral holes.
 5. The combination assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein said retaining portions are formed by heating and hardening parts of said string.
 6. The combination assembly as defined in claim 4, wherein each of said retaining portions is formed by a jig clamping said string.
 7. The combination assembly as defined in claim 1 further comprising a cram plate mounted inside said adjusting and fastening device for partitioning off said two lateral holes into two sections for oppressing said string running under said cram plate. 